No office rate
21501 covers deep soft-tissue drainage without rib resection. Use 21502 when the operative work includes the rib-related resection described by that code.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
21501 Deep abscess drainage Medicare reimbursement rates in Oregon
Reports operative drainage of a deep abscess or hematoma in neck or thoracic soft tissue, without the additional bone or rib work described by related codes. Compare 21501 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Oregon.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 21501 in Oregon?
Oregon has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$508.04–$552.69
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
Facility setting
$318.75–$341.55
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Surgical drainage
About 21501: Deep neck or thoracic abscess drainage
Reports operative drainage of a deep abscess or hematoma in neck or thoracic soft tissue, without the additional bone or rib work described by related codes.
A surgeon makes an operative incision to reach and drain a deep collection of pus or blood in the soft tissues of the neck or thorax. Examples include a deep neck-space infection or a deep thoracic soft-tissue collection. The work is distinct from draining a superficial skin abscess and from removing a mass or taking a biopsy. These procedures are commonly performed in a hospital operating room, though the setting depends on the patient and clinical circumstances.
Report 21501 when the documented work is drainage of the deep soft-tissue collection and does not include the additional rib or bone work represented by related codes. The operative report should identify the neck or thoracic site, the depth and nature of the collection, and the drainage performed. This major surgery code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 21501
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU3.88 · 25%
- Practice expense (office) RVU10.79 · 70%
- Malpractice RVU0.83 · 5%
2.4K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2316 by national volume
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
21501 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Oregon, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
21510 is for deep thoracic drainage that includes opening bone cortex. 21501 applies when the documented drainage is in soft tissue without that bony work.
$268.14–$291.85
21550 reports a biopsy of neck or chest tissue for diagnosis. 21501 reports operative drainage of a deep collection, not tissue sampling alone.
Compare 21501 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
2 of 2 payment localities
Portland →
Office / nonfacility
$552.69
Facility
$341.55
Rest Of Oregon →
Office / nonfacility
$508.04
Facility
$318.75
Need rates for a whole code list?
Fee-sheet and API access are in early access. Tell us which codes and locations your team needs.
21501 billing questions
How does 21501 differ from 21502?
Use 21501 for drainage of a deep neck or thoracic soft-tissue collection without the additional rib resection represented by 21502. Review the operative report for the specific work performed.
When would 21510 be more appropriate?
21510 describes deep drainage in the thorax with opening of bone cortex. Use 21501 when the documented procedure is confined to the deep soft tissues.
Can a superficial neck abscess be reported with 21501?
No. This code is for an operative approach to a deep collection in neck or thoracic soft tissue, not a superficial skin abscess.
Can modifier 50 be used for drainage on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. Report the service according to the documented procedure rather than appending modifier 50.
Is an assistant surgeon payable for 21501?
No. CMS lists a statutory restriction on assistant-at-surgery payment for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are also not permitted.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
1,99521490,,Optx tmprmand dislocation,A,,12.63,7.29,NA,7.29,,1.44,21.36,21.36,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,99621497,,Interdental wirg oth/thn fx,A,,4.52,16.45,,11.80,,0.50,21.47,16.82,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,99721499,,Unlisted muscskel px head,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,YYY,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,0,1,1,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,99821501,,I&d dp absc/hmtma sft ts nck,A,,3.88,10.79,,5.10,,0.83,15.50,9.81,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,99921502,,I&d dp abs/hmtm nck rib ostc,A,,7.36,6.11,NA,6.11,,1.85,15.32,15.32,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,00021510,,Inc deep opng b1 crtx thorax,A,,6.05,6.30,NA,6.30,,1.51,13.86,13.86,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,00121550,,Biopsy of neck/chest,A,,2.06,5.78,,1.94,,0.30,8.14,4.30,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00